Akron Zips Logo PNG
While the old athletic logo of the University of Akron featured a kangaroo mascot, the current version is just a single letter. The alternative logo preserves the kangaroo, though.
Meaning and history
The name “Akron Zips” refers to the athletic teams representing the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio.
The origin of the team’s name is pretty interesting. It derives from the word “zippers” used to refer to the rubber overshoes produced by the BF Goodrich Company of Akron. The overshoes were worn by many people around 1925 when the name contest for the university’s athletic program was held. So, while there were quite a few suggestions, the jury opted for the word “Zippers.” It was officially transformed to “Zips” in 1950 by Kenneth Cochrane, who was the university’s athletic director back then.
Today, Akron sponsors 20 varsity teams.
1986
From 1986 to 2001, the Akron Zips logo was a capital “A” in yellow with a dark blue shade. The letter was given in a slightly italicized block serif font. While the logo looked rather bright, it lacked identity.
2002
The emblem that replaced it in 2002 was absolutely different. Here, the team’s kangaroo mascot, a female kangaroo called “Zippy,” appeared. By the way, she is one of only eight female collegiate teams’ mascots in the US. On the logo, Zippy was hopping, and the name of the team was superimposed on her. The colors became nobler in comparison with the previous version.
2008
In 2008, the school opted for a “reduced” logo. There were only the kangaroo’s head and the letter “A” left.
2014 – 2021
The Akron Zips logo unveiled in 2014 was even more minimalistic. It featured nothing but the letter “Z.” It looked dynamic and edgy due to the sharp angles and “fangs” on the ends of the letters.
2021 – Today
In 2021 the Akron Zips logo was dramatically changed. The sharp and strong “Z” was replaced by a smooth and elegant “Akron” lettering, executed in the title case of a stylized cursive typeface with bold and elegant white characters, outlined in dark blue and placed on a transparent background with no graphical additions.
Football
The Akron Zips team competes in the Football Bowl. Their main rival is Kent State University. They won their first MAC championship in 2005.
Basketball
Akron Zips men’s basketball team won its first Division I postseason game in 2006. Two years later, they competed in the MAC Tournament Final for the second year in a row. In 2010, they played in the MAC Tournament Championship game for the fourth year in a row. As for the women’s team, they competed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 2014.
Soccer
The school’s soccer team can be regularly seen in the Top 10 NSCAA collegiate men’s soccer poll. To be precise, they were on the first line in 2005, 2009, 2010, and 2016. The team won their first national championship in 2010.
Colors
BLUE
PANTONE: PMS 282 C
HEX COLOR: #041E42;
RGB: (4, 30, 66)
CMYK: (100, 90, 13, 68)
GOLD
PANTONE: PMS 7503 C
HEX COLOR: #A89968;
RGB: (168, 153, 104)
CMYK: (10, 15, 50, 29)
